I still say that it's a bit apples and oranges, but here's my two yen's worth.

Michael Jackson has the more powerful voice, but Prince has the most versatile.

Prince's dancing comes across as more natural and far less choreographed than MJ's, but Michael's moves are visually more stunning (but come across as endlessly rehearsed).

Michael Jackson clearly has a better knowledge of how to create a commercially successful song. Whether or not that's a plus or a minus is up to the individual listener.

Prince produces himself perfectly and his music is spoiled when others have a hand in production. Michael knows just which producers to use in order to create his brand of perfection.

Prince is a musician first and a pop star second, MJ is a pop star first and a musician second.

Nope, still apples and oranges.

RobDogg27 said:

RobDogg it is clearly you who are on crack. Eddie Van Halen sucks at rhythm guitar? Are you mental? He has come up with some of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time, everyone knows his riffs in Running With The Devil, Ain't Talkin' Bout Love and Panama, you have clearly shown you know nothing about guitar playing when you made this comment, Vai and Van Halen have crossed genres, I have heard Eddie play flamenco and everyone knows Vai experiments a lot. Also it doesn't matter how easy a riff is to play, it matters who came up with the riff. The White Stripes' Seven Nation army is one of the most easiest riffs ever but it is really memorable and thats what makes it a classic riff. Prince has never come up with a completely classic riff that everyone knows and loves. Little Red Corvette doesn't really have a guitar riff that the whole song is based around and Dez Dickerson plays the solo, not Prince. Sure these guitar greats have said Prince is good, but nowhere have they said that he is one of the greatest like you deluded people claim. These guitar greats usually say something like 'Prince is a really underated guitarist' and that is true for most people, but people on this forum over rate him like he's one of the Top 20 players that have ever lived.

SEXYMOFO said:

I agree...I ride with Prince...The dude is a good guitar player...But to say that the Prince belongs in the top 20, 30, or 40 is a little out there...but I do believe he belongs in at least the top 100...But if you think he belongs in the top 10-20, then I have a straight jacket waiting for you...Prince is a complete musician...that's his greatness....

why does everyone think MJ's a better singer? People just have a sentimental attachment to MJ that's all based on nostalgia, but MJ doesn't compare to Prince at all.
[Edited 9/5/05 23:12pm]

Prince is a better, Songwriter, Dancer, Per4mer, Instrumentalist, Actor etc..

But the one thing that MJ does better is sing, listen too his voice on "She's out of my life" or "Will you be there" "Rock With You" and many more.

Prince is WAY better overall... but as a VOCALIST, u can't deny MJ.

why does everyone think MJ's a better singer? People just have a sentimental attachment to MJ that's all based on nostalgia, but MJ doesn't compare to Prince at all.
[Edited 9/5/05 23:12pm]

Prince's singing on When Doves Cry is quite robotic sounding like those new wave 80's singers, MJ's voice was never like this.

Enigmoid said:

I guess that sums it up!

Some of you people really are crazy if you think that Prince's vocal ability is superior to MJ's.

Look people, MJ's voice is ten times Prince's. It has way more power, is cleaner and much more energetic. I dunno if Prince's voice can go higher than MJ's, but his falsetto sounds too chipmunk-ish, whereas MJ's falsetto sounds much more natural as in Human Nature. When Prince tries to sing really powerfully he ends up screeching, like at the end of The Beautiful Ones and Kiss, however when MJ sings powerfully he always stays in tune and is singing not screeching. MJ could sing any Prince song no problem, but Prince could never sing songs like Wanna Be Startin' Something, Get On The Floor, Human Nature. In fact the only MJ song he could probably sing is Don't Stop Till You Get Enough.

Quite simply MJ's voice is much more pleasing to the ear. It's so smooth and he has just as much feeling in his voice if not more than Prince. Prince's singing on When Doves Cry is quite robotic sounding like those new wave 80's singers, MJ's voice was never like this.

If Prince is a better singer why are all his songs on his early albums sung in falsetto? I'll tell you why, it's because his natural singing voice wasn't good and powerful enough for those songs.

Also MJ can sing low as well, listen to 2000 Watts on Invincible. Even now MJ's voice is still better than Prince's, listen to Butterflies and Whatever Happens.

Some of you people really are crazy if you think that Prince's vocal ability is superior to MJ's.

The Beautiful Ones is just perfect as it is. He doesn't "screech" by accident but because he wanted it that way. Same with When Doves Cry, I just think you don't quite get the meaning of the song. The vocals perfectly fit it.
Still, I agree that Prince couldn't do Earth Song, for example.

Prince is a better, Songwriter, Dancer, Per4mer, Instrumentalist, Actor etc..

But the one thing that MJ does better is sing, listen too his voice on "She's out of my life" or "Will you be there" "Rock With You" and many more.

Prince is WAY better overall... but as a VOCALIST, u can't deny MJ.

Look people, MJ's voice is ten times Prince's. It has way more power, is cleaner and much more energetic. I dunno if Prince's voice can go higher than MJ's, but his falsetto sounds too chipmunk-ish, whereas MJ's falsetto sounds much more natural as in Human Nature. When Prince tries to sing really powerfully he ends up screeching, like at the end of The Beautiful Ones and Kiss, however when MJ sings powerfully he always stays in tune and is singing not screeching. MJ could sing any Prince song no problem, but Prince could never sing songs like Wanna Be Startin' Something, Get On The Floor, Human Nature. In fact the only MJ song he could probably sing is Don't Stop Till You Get Enough.

a powerful vocal ? in human nature ?. now, look. i love that song, but it is one of Mike's softer songs. and as far as sounding like Alvin an'em, what about don't stop till you get enough ? the afore mentioned endings to when dove's cry, and the beautiful ones is certainly not Prince screeching, as you stated, but more of a whailing. it's something old blues singers used to convey the pain directly to your soul, like a blow 2 the chest.



If Prince is a better singer why are all his songs on his early albums sung in falsetto? I'll tell you why, it's because his natural singing voice wasn't good and powerful enough for those songs.

because all of Prince's lead vocals were done in that register, at that time. to say his singing voice wasn't strong enough would be an untruthitude. if it was so weak, he wouldn't have had such varied backing vocals. go back and listen 2 for you. the whole album just screams vocal versatility. he even used his usual second tenor on the second verse of just as long as we're together.er Happens.


Some of you people really are crazy if you think that Prince's vocal ability is superior to MJ's.

MJ sucks as a singer, Prince is much better singer. Mj can only sing high and doesn't change pitch as much as Prince in one song. If MJ is such a good singer why does he lipsynch, Mj hasn't sung live like since the 80s, his concerts are all lipsynching, he can't even sing his own song Billie Jean in key, even in the 83 at Motown 25 special he lipsynched Billie Jean. 2000 Watts MJ has special fx to make his voice lower. Mj reminds me of the two women of the movie "Death becomes her". I have listened to all MJ, had all the cds, and all Prince, have all the cds. MJ can't sing, he hasn't done as many tv performances as Prince, Mj has never performed on Letterman, Leno, SNL, Arsenio, etc. MJ sucks in all aspects, if u wanna praise MJ while dissing Prince u're at the wrong place. have u at least listened to Prince? u mention "when doves cry", have u listened to anything besides his 80s hits?

SEXYMOFO said:

then i'd better get fitted for my strait jacket


peace,
j

I really can't stomach anymore of this Michael Jackson jibberish

Prince is a jack of all trades but a master of none.

BEAUGARDE said:

Ditto. Why do we continue to compare these vastly different artists? Why?

Prince is a better, Songwriter, Dancer, Per4mer, Instrumentalist, Actor etc..

But the one thing that MJ does better is sing, listen too his voice on "She's out of my life" or "Will you be there" "Rock With You" and many more.

Prince is WAY better overall... but as a VOCALIST, u can't deny MJ.